This week’s spotlight is on Golden Gate Area Council’s Director of Support Service Joe Barton. Joe earned his Eagle in 1999 from Troop 975 in Livermore, Calif. He spent many summers working on staff at Camp Royaneh, and later became a professional in the San Francisco Bay Area Council. Scouting once again came calling, Joe volunteers in his son’s pack, 915, as Committee Chair.
“My advice is to give back to Scouting. Return to the program and help future generations.”
Joe Barton
Tell us a little bit about you…
I credit my love for scouting to my time spent on the Camp Royaneh staff as a youth which is how I stayed involved in Scouting and eventually started a career with the San Francisco Bay Area Council as a product of the Great Recession. I currently serve as the Committee Chair for Pack 915 where my oldest son is a Webelos Scout.
When and where do you earn your Eagle Scout?
I am one of those who turned my paperwork in the day before I turned 18 though, I feel it’s not as bad as it sounds since I didn’t join Scouting until I was 13.5 years old. I earned Eagle in Troop 975 in Livermore, Ca
What did you do for your Eagle Project?
For my Eagle Project I renovated the bathroom in the Girls Scout cabin in Livermore, giving it new fixtures, paint and ADA compliance.
Did you have a favorite merit badge(s)? Did any merit badges(s) lead to a hobby or profession?
My favorite Merit Badge was Shotgun shooting because it introduced me to a hobby that I was able to do with my Grandfather before he passed.
Eagle Fact:
In 1966 Rifle Shooting and Shotgun Shooting replaced Marksmanship as a merit badge. Marksmanship was one of the original 57 merit badges issued in 1911.
What does being an Eagle Scout mean to you?
Being an Eagle Scout is an ideology. To me, it means that I am held to a higher standard in how I conduct myself more than just the Scout Oath and Law.
Do you have any advice for your fellow Eagles, or for those working towards becoming an Eagle? Or is there common advice that you think should be ignored?
My advice is to give back to Scouting. Return to the program and help future generations. I was helped immensely by adult leaders whose sons were no longer in the program or who didn’t have sons to begin with and I feel it is my duty to give back which is why I serve as the Committee Chair for my sons pack.
If you could add a thirteenth point to the scout law, what would it be?
Resourceful. Scouting teaches us to process information and problem solve. It’s built into the program but I think Scouts would get more out of it if it were directly emphasized.
